Chelsea Claims It’s ‘Not a Mess,’ ‘Not Irrational’ After Wild Offseason

Since American billionaire Todd Boehly became the owner of Chelsea in May 2022, he has spent close to $1.5 billion signing roughly 40 players. It’s the most pronounced spending spree of a U.S. owner in the league, though nearly half its teams are owned by eager Americans.

Sports investment consultant Roger Mitchell told Bloomberg the league is a “great product, but it’s not a business” because of this trend. “There’s no cost control, and you have irrational competitors like Todd Boehly who distort the market.”

Boehly defended his spending, which he described as “nothing irrational” and “laying a long-term foundation, establishing a great leadership team and responding to the environment.”

Manager Enzo Maresca also stood by Chelsea’s enormous collection of players on Wednesday. The club currently has more than 40 players, but once the summer transfer window ends Aug. 30, it can have only 25, per UEFA rules, although more under-21 players are allowed. Chelsea announced its 11th signing of the summer on Wednesday.

Maresca said players are split up, so he’s working with only about 20 of them a day. So while there are more than 40 players total, he said, “They are not working with me every day. I don’t see them. So it is not a mess like it looks from outside, absolutely not.”

Chelsea lost its first game of the 2024 Premier League season 2–0 to defending champion Manchester City on Sunday.